Eid ul-Fitr or Id-Ul-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadaan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fitr means "to break the fast" (and can also mean "nature", from the word "fitrah"); and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period.

Eid ul-Fitr is a three day celebration and is sometimes called the "Smaller Eid compared with the Eid ul-Adha that lasts four days and is called the "Greater Eid"
Eid-Ul-Fitr is one such festival of India which spread brotherhood irrespective of caste creed and religion. After the one month fasting and celibacy and intense prayers the Muslim fraternity accepts every other human being as his own brother. There is no social bonding or social taboo here everybody belongs to one world the world of the all benevolent Allah.

The Eid which is celebrated on the last day of Ramzan is a festival of brotherhood, on this day and during the holy month of Ramzan Charity is practiced with strict adherence. Zakat as it is called is practiced by every believer of Islam. The spirit of Zakat is that nobody should go hungry or deprived of the necessities of life.

Navratri -a nine day festival for Nine forms of Shakti
1. Navratri is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava meaning Nine and Ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi i.e. female divinity are worshipped.
The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are two very important junctions of climatic and solar influence. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar.
Dasaharara, meaning ‘ten days’, becomes dasara in popular parlance. The Navaratri festival or ‘nine day festival’ becomes ‘ten days festival’ with the addition of the last day, Vijaya-dasami which is its culmination. On all these ten days, Mother Mahisasura-mardini (Durga) is worshipped with fervour and devotion.
2. Traditions of Navaratri
There are five Navaratris devoted to the worship of Shakti (Parvati or Durga). Out of these only three are being celebrated now.
1. Sharada Navaratri - This is the Navaratri, which is celebrated during Sharad Ritu (beginning of winter) (Sept-Oct). This is also called Maha Navaratri. Sharada became Sharad in some places. This celebrates the slaying of Mahishasura by Durga. The festival is observed in most parts of India - especially in the East.
2. Vasant Navaratri - This is celebrated during Vasant Ritu (beginning of summer) (March- April). This Navaratri is celebrated in North India. Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu observes Navaratri during this period.
3. Ashada Navaratri - This Navaratri is particularly important for all Upasakas of Varahi- Celebrated in July-August. This is called Guhya Navaratri in Himachal Pradesh. Varahi is one of the seven Matrikas of Devi Mahatmya!
3. Sharad Navaratri
Commences on the first and ends on the tenth day of the bright half of the lunar month Aswayuja/Asvina.
‘The Navaratri festival has to be celebrated during the bright fortnight of the month of Asvina, in the order of pratipada, etc, until the navami ends,’ says the Dhaumya-vacana.
4. Vasantha Navaratri
This is celebrated during Vasantha Ruthu (beginning of summer) (March- April). This is also known as Chaitra navaratri as it falls during the lunar month of Chithra.
5.Forms of Shakti

Nine forms of Shakti are worshipped during the Navaratris. The Devis worshipped depend on the tradition of the region.
• Durga, the inaccessible one
• Bhadrakali
• Amba or Jagadamba, Mother of the universe
• Annapurna, The one who bestows grains (an) in plenty (purna)
• Sarvamangala, The one who gives joy (mangal) to all (sarva)
• Bhairavi
• Chandika or Chandi
• Lalita
• Bhavani
• Mookambika
6. Rituals
The Navratri commences on the first day (pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashwin. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar, the festival may be held for a day more or a day less.
Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, all three Navratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Goddess Parvati in her different forms. The Chaitra Navratri culmintes in Ram Navami and the Sharad Navratri culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra. The Dussehra of Kulu in Himachal Pradesh is particularly famous in the North.
In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, Sharad Navratri is celebrated by setting up of Golu (pronounced as Golu or Kolu) or Bombegalu. It is believed[who?] that this was a means to invite people home to celebrate the festivities with them. In Karanataka, particularly Mysore on the 10th day the enacting of destruction of evil (Ravana destroyed by Rama) is displayed with the lighting of dolls representing Ravana and forces of evil (2.5 millennia earlier version of the British Guy Faukes Day - Nov 5th).
The last four days of Sharad Navratri take on a particularly dramatic form in the state of West Bengal in East India where they are celebrated as Durga Puja. This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.
In West India, Sharad Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba dance.
Navratri is divided into sets of three days to adore three different aspects of the supreme goddess or goddesses.
7.First three days
The goddess is invoked as a spiritual force called Durga also known as kali in order to destroy all our impurities, vices and defects..
8. Second three days
The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth. She is the goddess of wealth.
9. Final three days
The final set of three days is spent in worshipping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.
In South India, Saraswathi pooja is performed on the 7th day. Eight day is traditionally Durgashtami which is big in Bengal. The 9th day is Ayudha Pooja when everyone gives their tools of the trade -- pens, machinery, books, automobiles, school work, etc. a rest and ritually worships them. They start afresh from the next day, the 10th day which is considered as 'Vijaya Dashami'. Many teachers/Schools in south India start teaching Kindergarten children from that day onwards. Students also pay homage to their respective teachers as they are considered the third god (Maathaa, Pitha, Guru, Daivam - Mother, Father, Teacher & God). On this tenth day of Navratri in October - the holiday of Dussehra or Dasara, an effigy of Ravana is burnt to celebrate the victory of good (Rama) over evil.
During Navratri, some devotees of Durga observe a fast and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. A period of introspection and purification, Navratri is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.
During this vowed religious observance, a pot is installed (ghatasthapana) at a sanctified place at home. A lamp is kept lit in the pot for nine days. The pot symbolizes the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the effulgent Adishakti, i.e. Sree Durgadevi. During Navratri, the principle of Sree Durgadevi is more active in the atmosphere. [1]
Navratri is celebrated in a large number of Indian communities. The mother goddess is said to appear in 9 forms, and each one is worshipped for a day. These nine forms signify various traits that the goddess influences us with. The Devi Mahatmya and other texts invoking the Goddess who vanquished demons are cited.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri
Tags: navratri, navratri fast, navratri 2008, navratri aarti, navratri fasting

Here is a beautiful article on Durga Puja taken from Ramakrishna Mission site. This gives a very good overview of Durga Puja. The source url is given at the end.

The Glory of Autumn

Autumn (Sharat) is regarded as one of the best seasons in India. The sun is on his southward journey and, as his blazing rays begin to slant, the subcontinent feels freedom from the oppressive heat of summer months. The monsoon has infused new life into trees, shrubs, creepers, herbs, grass, moss and lichen; and Gaia, the Earth Goddess, shows herself off in her richly embroidered green apparel of lush vegetation everywhere.

In the villages there is a look of plentitude and peace. The granaries are full with freshly garnered grain, the fields offer large open spaces with cattle grazing here and there, and along the borders of fields you can see rows of white and light pink kashphool (flowers of a kind of tall grass) tassels waving triumphantly in the breeze. Overhead, the sky is deep blue with an occasional white cloud sailing across lazily to an unknown destination. A kind of mystic silence pervades the air, broken only by the laughter of children playing here and there.

It is as if Nature has prepared herself for the advent of the Divine Mother. Indeed, which other season can be a better one to welcome the Divine Mother than autumn? And Durga Puja is about the advent of the Divine Mother.

Worship of the Divine Mother is one of the oldest forms of worship known to humanity. In prehistoric times, God was worshipped as the Divine Mother all over the world. Evidences for Mother Worship have been recovered in different places in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. But it is only in India that Mother worship went beyond the framework of a cult and became a full-fledged living religion supported by an advanced theology, scriptures, rites, customs and festivals which are followed by millions of people even in modern times. And in Bengal, worship of God as Mother attained the highest form of a cultural refinement and ritual sophistication, and became the dominant faith and practice of the people.

Sri Ramakrishna used to say: ''To look upon God as Mother is the purest and the highest form of Sadhana'' (Matribhav shuddha bhav, sadhanar shesh katha). Why did he say that? Because Mother's love is the most unselfish and unconditional form of human love. For a child, mother is all sufficient: apart from giving birth, she provides everything that the child needs - nourishment, protection, warmth, comfort, training, education. To look upon God as Mother is to make God all-sufficient in one's life. It is a very natural, intimate and purest form of relationship.

Mother Worship in India

Worship of God as Mother has prevailed in India from prehistoric times. It was perhaps in vogue in Mohenjodaro-Harappa civilization. In the Rig Veda, there is a wonderful hymn known as Devi-Suktam (which is chanted during Durga Puja days) in which the Divine Mother declares that She moves with the Rudras, Vasus, Adityas, and all other gods, that She is the power of all gods, that She is the Queen of the world, and so on.

It is, however, in the Devi-Mahatmya, popularly known as the Chandi, that worship of the Divine Mother assumes an independent, supreme status. Although Chandi forms a part of Markandeya Purana, it is treated as an independent scripture. For devotees of the Divine Mother, especially in Bengal, Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu, Chandi is regarded as the most sacred and valued scripture. It was composed sometime between the 6th and 9th centuries AD.

Another authoritative book on Shakti worship is Devi-Bhagavatam. Between the 6th and 16th centuries a class of Shakta scriptures known as the Tantras (believed to be 63 in all) came into existence. The Tantras became popular in three areas, namely Bengal, Kerala and Kashmir, which form the three angles of a geographical triangle.

Worship of the Divine Mother is prevalent all over India - from Kanyakumari (famous for its Kanyakumari temple) to Kashmir (Kshirbhavani temple) and from Rajasthan (Amba temple) to Kolkata (Kalighat temple). In fact, there is hardly any large area in India which does not have a Devi temple. Great heroes of the past worshipped the Divine Mother. Sri Rama is said to have worshipped Durga before killing Ravana. Shivaji, the great Maratha king, was a votary of Bhavani. Guru Govind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, is also said to have been a worshipper of Mother Durga.

Different Forms of Divine Mother

Although the Divine Mother is only one, Her manifestations are many. During the early centuries of the Christian Era, the Divine Mother was worshipped as an independent and Supreme Goddess. She was mostly pictured as riding a lion (Simha-vahini). This is the image of Durga we find in the Chandi where she appears as Chamundeshvari and Mahishasura-mardini.

In later centuries, the Divine Mother came to be regarded as the spouse of God Shiva. Here again, there were two schools. In one school, the Divine Mother and Shiva are regarded as equal in power. This school, known as ''Samya'', is the more common one, especially in South India. In the other school, known as ''Kaula'', the Divine Mother as Kali is regarded as the dynamic principle, and Shiva as the passive principle. This school is most prevalent in Bengal, and also in Kashmir and Kerala.

The nine days from the first day after the new moon (known as Mahalaya) in the Indian month of Ashwin to the 9th day constitute the festival of Navaratri which is observed all over India. During this period, the Divine Mother is worshipped in some form or other. The majority of Hindus who cannot conduct such worship at home visit Mother's temple in their locality after taking bath and putting on new clothes. The tenth day is known as Dassera. In the northern parts of India, on this day the life of Rama (known as Ramlila) is enacted in public. In many parts of India, on this day weapons, implements, instruments, etc are worshipped. [In Bengal, this worship of tools and implements takes place on another special day known as Vishwakarma Puja.]

It is during this period of Navaratri that Durga Puja is celebrated in Bengal. The celebration of Durga Puja is a unique feature of the socio-religious culture of Bengal. In no other part of India does the worship of Durga affect the lives of the people so deeply as it does in Bengal. Festivities begin from Mahalaya and go on for nearly a month. During this period, people put on new clothes, worship the Divine Mother at any of the beautiful Durga pandals put up in different parts of the city or town, and enjoy feasts.

The most striking aspect of Durga Puja is the image of the Divine Mother as Mahishasura-mardini. Here the Divine Mother is seen as having ten arms, each wielding a weapon. [Hence She is described as Dasha-prahara-dharini.] Once the image is consecrated, and the Deity is invoked in it, it undergoes a transfiguration. It is no longer a clay image but the living Goddess, radiating power, knowledge, love and joy, the benign Mother of the Universe who has come to bless Her children and to assure them of Her love, help and protection.

Another prominent feature of Durga Puja celebration is the gorgeous Pandal or Durga dalan in which the worship is conducted. Durga Puja is meant for public worship, in which a large number of people participate. Its rituals and paraphernalia are quite expensive. Formerly only kings and aristocratic families could afford to celebrate such public worship. But in modern times Durga Puja is done through organized community effort. People of a locality or street form a celebration committee, take collections and put up the imposing pandal.

Who first started this kind of public celebration of Durga Puja? The generally accepted view is that it was Kamsa-narayan, king of Tahirpur in Rajshahi District (now in Bangladesh), who first started the present style of public celebration of Durga Puja around the year 1600.

Commingling of Legends

What is the mythological basis of Durga Puja? Several mythological legends have commingled to form the basis of Durga Puja. These are mentioned below:

1. Before fighting Ravana, Sri Ramachandra was advised by Narada to propitiate Devi Durga. According to Hindu mythology, during the six months of the sun's southward journey the gods remain asleep. (They remain awake during the six months when the sun moves northward.) So Rama had to awaken the Goddess first. This is why the first ritual in Durga Puja is the awakening (bodhan) of Durga. This legend is found in the Ramayana in Bengali written by Krittivas. In some other Puranas it is mentioned that, when Rama wanted to propitiate Devi, it was Brahma who did the awakening.

The present-day Durga Puja is, thus, a commemoration of the first Durga Puja performed by Sri Rama.

2. The second legend is about the coming of Devi Uma from Her abode in Kailash to the home of her parents - Himavat and Menaka. She comes riding a lion. In the Vedas, Uma is first mentioned in the Kena Upanishad where She is described as Uma Haimavati. It is a popular belief in Bengal that Uma comes and stays with the people for three days. A whole set of songs, known as Agamani, describing the homecoming of Uma has come into existence. These songs are sung during the days preceding Durga Puja. These songs serve to spiritualize Hindu mother's love and concern for their married daughters.

3. The third legend is about Sati Devi. Although neither Sati nor Uma is mentioned in the Chandi, in the mool-mantra used in Durga Puja, Sri Durga is addressed as Daksha-yajna-vinashini, ''The Destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice.''

Daksha was one of the Prajapatis or Creators of the Universe. He had eight daughters, of whom the eldest was Sati. Against her father's wish, Sati married the great God Shiva who was an ascetic wearing matted hair and leading an unconventional life on Mount Kailash. After some years, the roving Rishi Narada reached Kailash and gave the news that Daksha was going to conduct a big sacrifice to which all gods and goddesses were invited, except Sati and Shiva. Although uninvited, Sati went to see her father. But Daksha spoke insultingly of Shiva and, unable to bear the insult, Sati fell down dead. Shiva was naturally enraged; and his anger burnt to ashes Daksha and his sacrifice, and then Shiva began a dance of destruction. But the gods intervened, and Shiva finally returned to His meditation in Mount Kailash. Sati was reborn as Parvati who, after years of intense tapas, got Shiva as Her husband once again.

The mool-mantra, Daksha-yajna-vinashinyai, refers to the destruction of Daksha's sacrifice mentioned above. It is, however, quite obvious that this great Mantra has some deeper mystic, esoteric meaning far beyond the mythological significance.

4. The most important legend which is central to Durga Puja is about Durga, and forms the theme of Chandi. The word Durga literally means one who ''protects like a fort'' or one who ''destroys the evil consequences'' of our actions (durgati-nashini). In the Chandi, Durga is mostly referred to simply as Devi, the Goddess, and occasionally as Ambika. She is an independent, supreme Goddess, not the consort of any male God.

As already mentioned, the Chandi is one of the oldest scriptures on Mother Worship. It was obviously composed before the sectarian divisions of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism entered Hinduism. Hence Devi is referred to in this book as the Power of Vishnu and also addressed as Narayani repeatedly.

Durga in Chandi

The Chandi is divided into three parts. In the first part Devi appears as Mahamaya which is described as yoga-nidra of Vishnu. That is to say, Mahamaya is the power of Tamas which makes people lethargic, indolent and sleepy. Under the influence of this cosmic delusive Power, Lord Vishnu went to sleep. At that time two demons by name Madhu and Kaitabh came out the ears of Vishnu and attacked Brahma the Creator God. Brahma then praised the Divine Mother as Mahamaya or Yoga-nidra. Pleased with the petition, she withdrew herself from Vishnu's body. Vishnu now woke up and killed Madhu and Kaitabh.

In the second part Devi appears as Mahishasura-mardini and is also called Chandika. The story goes that when a powerful demon by name Mahishasura was the king of the Asuras (demons), they attacked the Devas (gods) and vanquished them. The defeated gods went to Shiva and Vishnu and complained about the atrocities of Mahishasura. Hearing this, Vishnu, Shiva and other presiding Deities became angry. The rays of their anger combined to form a supremely powerful and dazzlingly bright female Being - the Devi known also as Chandika and Ambika. Seeing the dazzling brightness of the Devi, Mahishasura first sent his army to attack Her. But the Divine Mother exterminated them all. Then Mahishasura, who had the form of a buffalo, himself attacked Her. Devi at once jumped upon his body, pressed his neck with her foot, struck his chest with her spear, and finally cut off his head. The gods being extremely relieved and pleased, praised the Devi, and their praise takes up the rest of the second part of Chandi.

In the third part of the book, Devi appears first as Parvati and then, out of her form, there arises another form known as Kalika. But she continues to be referred to as Ambika. The third part narrates another valorous act of the Divine Mother. Once upon a time two brothers, Shumbha and Nishumbha became lords of the three worlds, and the gods lost everything. Coming to know of the beauty of Kalika, they sent word to her asking her to come to them. When she spurned their order, they at first sent two demons, Chanda and Munda, to capture her. Seeing them, Ambika became angry and out of that anger there issued forth a terrible form known as Kali who fought with the demons. Finally Kali cut off the heads of Chanda and Munda. She thus came to be called Chamunda. Now Shumbha and Nishumbha themselves rode in their chariots and attacked Ambika and Kali. After a protracted battle Ambika herself destroyed Shumbha and Nishumbha.

Significance of Chandi

The image of Durga as Mahishasuramardini epitomizes the Chandi. To understand the significance of the image we have to understand the significance of the Chandi.

The gory scene depicted by the image of Durga, and the blood-curdling descriptions of a warrior Goddess exterminating hordes of evil doers drenching the earth with blood, may be enigmatic and repulsive to some people, especially to those who are outside the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. A mature and realistic understanding of the Divine in the context of the real situations in human life and society is necessary to understand the true significance of Chandi. The basic significance of Chandi may be briefly stated as follows.

1. The main purpose of Chandi is to glorify Shakti. Shakti is the dynamic aspect of the ultimate Reality known as Brahman. Shakti is generally regarded as the feminine principle. The feminine principle has two aspects: a lower, seductive aspect, and a higher, maternal aspect. It is the higher maternal aspect that is glorified in the Chandi, and in the Shakta tradition in general. Sri Ramakrishna used to say: Jini Brahma tini Shakti, tini i Ma ''He who is Brahman is Shakti, and He himself is the Mother of the Universe''

A mother has three main functions: to give birth, to nourish, to care and protect. It is the third aspect that is highlighted in the Chandi. God is not a disinterested spectator of the drama of human life. She is an active participant. She protects people from dangers. Think of the cosmic figure of a Divine Mother towering over millions of people guarding them from dangers, punishing evil doers. Well, you can see this image of the Cosmic Mother in the Chandi.

2. The second purpose of the Chandi is to depict the reality of evil. Vice, wickedness, cruelty, injustice, suffering - all these are as much real as virtue, love, compassion, cooperation etc which humanity has idealized and dreamed about from time immemorial. Dharma and Adharma, virtue and vice, are two inseparable aspects of reality, and we have to accept both.

We generally tend to associate Godhead only with love and compassion. We forget that Godhead has also an aspect of power, terror and destruction. It was this destructive aspect of Godhead that Sri Krishna showed Arjuna through the Vishwarupa Darshana revelation. What we find in the Chandi is the same terrible aspect, but associated with the Eternal Feminine.

Mahishasura, Shumbha, Nishumbha and other characters portrayed in the Chandi are of course mythological, but this does not make them irrelevant in the present-day world. Do we not find similar, or even worse, types of people in modern times? Political leaders who commit mass genocide, terrorists who bomb crowded trains, buses and market places, serial murders, rapists et cetra, about whom we read in newspapers - are these people in any way better than the demons described in the Chandi? As a matter of fact, Chandi assumes greater reality and relevance in the contemporary world than at any other time before.

Chandi is not a book of romance. Nor does it promise a utopian world. On the contrary, it wakes us up from our futile dreams and situates us right in the midst of the terrible realities of the present-day world which we very often fail to face.

3. The third message of the Chandi is the empowerment of women. In recent years there is a lot of talk about empowerment of women, especially in rural and tribal areas in India. The Chandi shows to what heights this empowerment can be raised. In all countries in all times, women have been indoctrinated from childhood to believe that they are weak, helpless and totally dependent on men. The Chandi shows how much power women can wield, how they can work independently, and face boldly even the worst challenges of life without unduly depending on men.

4. Lastly, Chandi delivers a message of hope, the assurance of divine help and succour. In spite of all the terrible happenings described in the book, there is absolutely no pessimistic tone or note of despair in the Chandi. Let troubles and difficulties come, let even dire calamities occur; we have nothing to fear, for there is a God, a Mother, who protects us from all dangers or gives us the inner strength to face them. In modern times the Divine Mother, born as Sri Sarada Devi, has given us this assurance: ''Always remember, there is somebody behind you … Place your burden upon me and remain unperturbed.'' This is also the last message of the Chandi.

DURGA PUJA AT BELUR MATH

Durga Puja was first celebrated at Belur Math in 1901. Since then Durga Puja has been celebrated at Belur Math year after year, although for a few years after the first celebration in 1901, Pratima worship was not done. (In this connection it should be mentioned that Durga Puja was conducted on a small scale, without the image, by the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna during the early years of Ramakrishna Math at Baranagar.) It was Swami Vivekananda himself who started the first Durga Puja with the image at Belur Math. As a rule, Hindu Sannyasins do not conduct this kind of ritualistic worship. Why then did Swamiji start the new tradition?

One reason was to gain the acceptance of the local community for the new way of life that Swamiji and his monastic brothers were leading. The Hindu society in Calcutta had not fully accepted Swamiji's going to the West, and the rather unconventional ways of life at Belur Math which included disregard for caste rules and mixing with Western people. As a matter of fact, the celebration of Durga Puja helped to remove much of the misunderstanding and misgivings about the new monastic institution among the local people.

Another reason was Swamiji wanted to institutionalize respect for divinity of motherhood and sanctity of womanhood. Swamiji saw that one of the main reasons for the advancement of Western people was the elevation of women in the West, and one of the main reasons for the backwardness of India was the neglect of women in this country. Worship of the Divine Mother, especially the Kumari Puja, would create the awareness of the potential divinity of women and a respectful attitude towards them.

A third reason was supernatural. A few days before Durga Puja in 1901, Swamiji had a vision of Durga Puja being done at Belur Math. More or less at that time, Swami Brahmanandaji saw in a vision Mother Durga coming across the Ganga from Dakshineshwar to Belur Math. Swamiji asked Raja Maharaj to make preparations for Durga Puja immediately, although only a few days were left to begin the Puja.

The main problem was to get a clay image for worship. Enquiries at Kamartuli (the street in Kolkata where artisans make clay images) revealed that there was a single beautiful image of Durga in a shop. The person who had ordered it had not turned up, and so the artisan agreed to sell it to the monks.

Apart from the image, a lot of other things had to be collected for the elaborate ritualistic worship. Under able direction of Swami Brahmanandaji everything was done well at short notice.

The first Durga Puja at Belur Math was conducted in a huge Pendal (decorative shed) on the open ground to the north of the old shrine. The invocatory worship on Shashthi (the 6th day of the lunar month) was on 18 October 1901. The Pujari was Brahmachari Krishnalal and the Tantradharak was Isvar Chandra Chakravarty, the father of Shashi Maharaj. Sitting under the Bel tree (which now stands in front of his temple) Swamiji sang Agamani songs welcoming the Divine Mother.

The householder disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and orthodox Brahmins of nearby area had been specially invited, and thousands of people, irrespective of the distinctions of caste or religion, attended the three-day festival. On the night of Navami Swamiji sang many songs in praise of Divine Mother, some of which used to be sung by Sri Ramakrishna.

Holy Mother and Durga Puja

When Swamiji decided to celebrate Durga Puja at Belur Math, one of the first things he did was to seek the approval of Holy Mother Sarada Devi who was then staying at Baghbazar in Kolkata. Swami Premananda went to Mother, and Mother whole-heartedly approved the proposal. On Shashthi day She came with other women devotees and stayed at Nilambar Babu's garden house nearby. Mother attended the awakening ceremony that day and attended the Puja on all the three subsequent days.

Since Sannyasins cannot undertake this kind of ritualistic worship, Swamiji decreed that the Puja should be done in the name of Holy Mother. This became a tradition which continues to this day. Swamiji looked upon Sri Sarada Devi as the divine counterpart of Sri Ramakrishna, born for the awakening of womankind in the modern world. In a letter to Swami Shivananda written in 1894 from America, Swamiji had given expression to his conviction about the Divinity of Holy Mother as follows: ''Brother, I shall show how to worship the living Durga (Jivanta Durga), and then only shall I be worthy of my name. I shall be relieved when you have purchased a plot of land and established there the living Durga, the Mother (i.e. Sri Sarada Devi).'' The presence of Holy Mother, the Living Durga, during the Puja must have given boundless joy and satisfaction to Swamiji and the other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.

Holy Mother attended the Durga Puja at Belur Math in 1912 and in 1916 and perhaps in some other years also. Each time Mother stayed for a few days and blessed Her monastic and lay children.

Agamani

As already mentioned elsewhere, several mythological legends underlie Durga Puja festival. One of these is the legend that every year during the Navaratri, Goddess Uma, who is identified with Parvati the divine consort of Shiva, comes to the home of her parents - Himavat and Menaka. In Bengal this legend has been universalized into the belief that the Divine Mother visits the homes of all her children during the three days of Durga Puja. Agamani songs are songs which vividly depict the maternal love and deep concern of Menaka for her divine daughter. They are sung to welcome Mother Uma into homes. They also reflect parents' love for their married daughters.

Swami Vivekananda was fond of Agamani songs because of the tender feelings expressed in them. On the Shashthi of the first Durga Puja at Belur Math, Swamiji sang Agamani songs such as, Giri Ganesh amar shubhakari etc. The tradition of singing Agamani songs continues in Belur Math. Every year from the first day (pratipada) after Mahalaya to the sixth day (Shashthi) Sadhus and Brahmacharins gather at the main temple of Sri Ramakrishna at dawn and sing Agamani songs in chorus. [At night, after Arati, they conduct Kalikirtan.]

Chandipath

During the nine days of Navaratri the book Chandi is recited everyday morning. This recital is done along with worship of the Goddess Chandi. In Belur Math this is done during the first five days at a corner of Natamandir and from the 6th at a corner of Durga Mandap itself.

Shashthi : the 6th day

This is a very important day when ritual preparations are made to begin the Durga Puja proper. These preparations are mainly three: Kalparambha, Bodhan, Adhivas and Amantran.

Kalparambha : This ritual is done early in the morning. It is mainly an act of making the samkalpa or ''sacramental intention'', the firm determination to conduct the Puja properly during the three days. The ritual consists of installing the ghata, water-filled copper pot, at a corner of Durga mandap and offering worship to Durga and Chandi.

Bodhan: This rite is performed at the Sandhya or dusk. The word ‘Bodhan' literally means ‘awakening'. As already mentioned elsewhere, the Hindu mythology holds that all gods and goddesses go to sleep for six months during the southward journey of the Sun. Autumn (Sharat), during which Durga Puja is done, falls in the middle of this period. Hence it is necessary to first of all awaken the deity Durga. We have already mentioned that the awakening of Durga was first done by Sri Ramachandra who wanted to propitiate the Goddess before fighting Ravana.

The ritual of Bodhan consists in installing a water-filled copper vessel at the base of the Bel (Bilva) tree (or, as is now done at Belur Math, keeping a branch of the Bel tree in the pot) and praying to the Divine Mother to awaken.

Adhivas and Amantran : These rites follow Bodhan. Adhivas means ''invocation''. Through Bodhan the Devi has awakened: now the awakened Devi has to be invoked in the Bel tree or branch of the tree. Adhivas is also a ritual of sanctification. The actual ritual consists of the following main steps.

1. Devi Durga and the Bel tree are first worshipped 2. Twenty-six sacramental things (mangalik dravya) are sanctified by touching Devi Durga and the Bel tree with them. 3. To ward off evil effects, a red coloured thread is tied around the altar where Puja is done.

The above ritual is followed by Amantran which literally means ''invitation''. Through this rite the Devi is invited or entreated to accept the Puja the next day (Saptami).

After this, Devi is worshipped with five items and Arati is done to Her.

Saptami Puja

The important point to note here is that a living medium is necessary to invoke the indwelling of a deity. It is through a living medium that Divinity manifests itself. On the sixth day Divinity was invoked in the Bel tree or a branch of it. On the seventh day the Deity is invoked in a group of nine plants known as Navapatrika. The nine plants, which include a branch of Bel tree also, are bundled together, given a ceremonial bath, covered with an orange coloured cloth and installed on a wooden seat on the right side of the image of Durga. This is followed by Mahasnan (great bath) on a mirror, using various materials. After this, consecration and divinization of the image, known as pranapratishtha, takes place. This is followed by elaborate worship of the Devi with sixteen items (shodashopacharapuja). The other deities, attendants and other objects associated with Devi are then worshipped. The Seventh Day's Puja is concluded with bhog (food offering) and Arati to Devi.

Ashtami Puja

As on Saptami, on Ashtami also, Mahasnan and Shodashopacharapuja are done. In addition, nine small pots with flags of different colours attached are installed and the Nine Shaktis are invoked in them and worshipped. After this sixty-four yoginis are worshipped. Then one crore yoginis are worshipped. This is followed by worship of Nava Durga (nine aspects of Durga) and Goddesses Jayanti, Mangala, Kali, Bhadrakali, Kapalani, Durga, Shiva, Kshama, Dhatri, Svaha and Svadha. Ashtami Puja is concluded with Bhog and Arati.

Kumari Puja : Worship of a young girl, treating her as Devi, is also a part of Ashtami Puja. Sri Ramakrishna has said that the Divine Mother manifests herself more in a pure-hearted girl and that is why Kumari Puja is done. He used to bow down before little girls looking upon them as manifestations of the Divine Mother. When Durga Puja was done at Belur Math for the first time, Swami Vivekananda worshipped several Kumaris. Now only one Kumari is worshipped. The same kinds of offerings made to the Devi are given to the Kumari also, and finally Arati is performed. Even senior monks offer flowers at her feet.

Sandhi Puja : The last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami (a total of 48 minutes between the two lunar days) constitute the Sandhi or ''Sacred Juncture''. It is considered to be a most auspicious time. At this time Durga is worshipped as Chamunda (that is, Kali who killed the demon Chanda and Munda). This Puja is considered to be the highest point in the whole Durga Puja and the most important ritual.

It is customary to perform bali or animal sacrifice at this sacred juncture. When the first Durga Puja was celebrated at Belur Math in 1901, Swami Vivekananda wanted to have bali done. But Holy Mother prohibited it and, in obedience to Holy Mother's injunction, animal sacrifice is never done at Belur Math. Instead, a banana is ‘sacrificed' as a symbolic bali.

Navami Puja

As in Ashtami, during Navami also Mahasnan and Shodashopacharapuja are offered to Devi. In addition, bali and Homa are performed. In Belur Math for bali white pumpkin and sugarcane are offered. The Homa (fire sacrifice) is a combination of Vedic and Tantric traditions.

Dashami Puja

In the morning a brief Puja, Shital bhog (cooling food offering) and Arati are first done. Then the Pujari and Tantradharak circumambulate the altar and perform the visarjan ritual. In this ritual the Devi, who had been invoked in the Navapatrika and consecrated Image, is entreated to return to Her celestial abode. The Divine Mother, however, dwells for ever in the hearts of devotees.

In the evening the Image of Durga along with Navapatrika is taken in procession to the river bank and immersed in the river. The water taken from the spot, known as Shanti Jal is sprinkled on the devotees who embrace one another as an expression of their solidarity as children of the same Divine Mother. And thus the holy Durga Puja comes to an end leaving joyous memories in the souls of people.

Heart disease and stroke are amongst the world's largest killers, together claiming 17.5 million lives each year. World Heart Day is celebrated every year to create public awareness of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke and to promote preventive measures.

The theme of this year's World Heart Day is ‘Know Your Risk!’. It is a call to action to help people better understand their personal risk for cardiovascular disease, including hypertension (high blood pressure). World Heart Day activities include free heart health screenings, walks, runs, fitness events, public talks, scientific forums, exhibitions and much more. Heart health screening and other activities for the public are being planned in over one hundred countries worldwide.

The number of those affected by high blood pressure is predicted to increase by 50 per cent over the coming years. But by adopting suitable lifestyle changes and reducing the risk, the picture can change for the better. The level of risk for heart disease and stroke is a combination of modifiable and non-modifiable factors, of which high blood pressure is one of the most important. High blood pressure, or hypertension, currently affects more than a billion people worldwide and can damage the body. By knowing the level of risk one can take simple but significant step towards preventing life being affected by hypertension. Heart disease and stroke can be better prevented by regular exercise, no smoking and a healthier diet, low in salt and fat and rich in fibres, fresh vegetables and fruit.

1. Be aware of your risk

An excellent way to find out your risk of heart attack or stroke is to know your parametres specifically those associated with fat (both abdominal and as a proportion of height and weight), cholesterol and blood pressure. Too much fat, especially around the abdomen or waist area, increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. So do high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure. Fortunately, all three risk factors can respond to changes in diet and physical activity. Medication also can help. Also,

2. Know your blood pressure: High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but can cause a sudden stroke or heart attack. Get your blood pressure checked.

3. Know your blood sugar: Raised blood glucose (diabetes) increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. If you have diabetes it is very important to control your blood pressure and blood sugar to minimise the risk.

6.Eat healthy. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as a variety of whole grains.

7.Exercise. Make exercise a regular part of your life. Each day, do at least 30 minutes of physical activity that raises your heart beat. Recommended activities include brisk walking, dancing and sports such as tennis and basketball.

Diet is a significant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). An unhealthy diet is high in saturated fats, salt and refined carbohydrates and low in fruits and vegetables.

Fat

A diet high in saturated fats and trans fats leads to abnormal levels of fats in the blood, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Saturated fats are found in animal products. Trans fats are oils that have been hydrogenated to turn them into semi-hard fats; they adversely alter the fat levels in the blood.

Saturated fats should be replaced with unsaturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are beneficial for heart health. Olive and canola oils and nuts are sources of monosaturated oils. Soyabean and sunflower oils are sources of polyunsaturated fat.

The essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are found in oily fish, nuts and seeds and actually protect the heart. Where fish consumption is high there is a reduced risk of death from CVD. One should eat 1 to 2 servings of fish a week as part of a heart protective diet.

Saturated fat intake should not exceed 10% of total energy and for high-risk groups, like people with diabetes, total saturated fat intake should be 7% or less of total energy. Total fat intake should not be greater than 30% of total calories consumed.
Salt

A diet high in salt increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, a risk for CVD.

A universal reduction of about 3g of salt a day would lead to a 50% reduction in the number of people needing treatment for high blood pressure.

A universal reduction of 3g of salt a day would lead to a 22% drop in the number of deaths resulting from strokes and a 16% fall in the number of deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD).
Fruits and vegetables

Low fruit and vegetable intake accounts for about 20% of cardiovascular disease worldwide.

Adults should consume at least 500g of fresh fruit and vegetables a day or 5 to 7 portions a day.
Nuts

Eating nuts regularly is associated with decreased risk of CHD.

Nuts are high in unsaturated fatty acids, low in saturated fats and improve the fat levels in the blood.

Nuts are an energy dense food source and must be eaten as part of a balanced diet.
Wholegrain cereals

Whole grains have dietary fibre that has a positive effect of blood fat levels, lowering the risk of CHD.

Read about Mahalya. The URL of the site where you can listen to Mahalaya by Birendra Krishna Bhadra or download it, is given at the end of the post.

Mahalaya is an auspicious occasion observed seven days before the Durga Puja, and heralds the advent of Durga, the goddess of supreme power. It is an invocation and invitation to the mother goddess to rise, awake and descend on earth and annihilate the evils of the world by her Supreme Goodness - Jago Tumi Jago, Jago Durga...This is done through the chanting of mantras and shlokas and singing devotional songs. The day of Mahalaya ushers in the aura of Durga Puja.

The day of Mahalaya is also the day of Remembrance. On this day, people offer Tarpan in memory of their deceased forefathers. The banks of River Ganges in India are peopled with many priests seen busy performing Tarpan for devotees in groups. The rituals start from early dawn and last till mid-day. Devotees and worshipers observe a fast since morning and offer food, water, clothes and sweets to their forefathers.

Thus, the auspicious Mahalaya day is religiously observed by performing this important ritual to remember our ancestors by doing the Tarpan in the names of those who were our near and dear ones but who are no longer alive with us today, though we cherish them in our hearts and minds.

After offering Tarpan, people break their fast and have their first meal of the day.

Mahalaya signifies the termination of Pitri Paksha and the beginning of Devi Paksha, thus ushering in the season of religious festivals. Durgotsav, as this festival is known in Bengal, commences from Mahalaya - this is the day that Goddess Durga is supposed to begin her journey with her children from her husband Shiva's abode in Mount Kailash in the Himalayas to her parental home in the plains.

On this auspicious day, early morning, at 4a.m. a 2 hour long program is broadcast in Bengali from Akashvani Kolkata in India. A translated version in Hindi is subsequently transmitted from all other important radio stations of the country. Titled Mahisasur-Mardini (which means 'the slayer of the demon-in-the-guise-of-a-buffalo') this program narrates why and how Durga was conceived, how she was armed with a plethora of weapons by the Gods to destroy the Buffalo Demon - Mahisasur who was causing havoc in the cosmos and how she achieved her goal of annihilating him and ushering in peace and happiness to the World.

One man who'll always be remembered for making the Mahalaya Radio Program memorable to one and all is Birendra Krishna Bhadra, the magical voice behind the narration of Mahisasur-Mardini. This legendary narrator recites the holy verses and tells the story of the descent of Durga to earth, in his inimitable style. The program was first aired live on the radio way back in 1932. Birendra Krishna Bhadra was only 28 years old then.

Birendra Bhadra has long passed away, but his recorded voice still forms the core of the Mahalaya program. In a sonorous, reverberating voice Birendra Bhadra renders the Mahalaya recital for two thrilling hours, mesmerizing every household with the divine aura of his narration, as the Bengalis submerge their souls in quiet moments of prayer.

Mahisasur-Mardini is a remarkable piece of audio drama based on the Hindu mythology and the Vedic mantras of the Chandi-Path. The programme was first organised by Premankur Aatorthi, Birendra Krishna Bhadra, Nripendra Krishna Mukhopadhya and Raichand Boral. It is a landmark composition scripted by Bani Kumar, and narrated by Birendra Krishna Bhadra. The enchanting music is composed by none other than the immortal Pankaj Kumar Mullick, and the songs are rendered by famous singers of yesteryears - Dijen Mukhopadhya, Manobendra Mukhopadhya (Tabo Achinta...), Sandhya Mukherjee, Utpala Sen, Shyamal Mitra, Supriti Ghosh (Bajlo Tomar Alor Benu...) Hemant Kumar and Arati Mukherjee.

Mahalaya and the Legend of Karna :

The renowned hero of the Mahabharata, Karna, after he had died and left his mortal remains on earth and ascended to Heaven, the great charity he had done on earth was returned to him hundred-fold. But, it was all gold and silver; there was no food, as he had not done any food-charity. He prayed to Yama - The God of Death to be sent back to Earth for 14 days, to make up for this deficiency.

Lord Yama agreed and restored his life on earth. For 14 days, he fed Brahmins and the poor, and offered oblation of water. On his return to heaven after those 14 days, he now had access to food in plenty. It is these 14 days that are commemorated in the Mahalaya Paksha. Due to the grace of Lord Yama on Karna for having restored his life on earth for a fortnight, it has been ordained that offerings made during this period benefit all the departed souls, irrespective of they being connected to us or not.

Charity in the form of food is important during this observance. Life sustains on food. One cannot preach religion and love to empty stomachs and starving souls. The human body is an important vehicle for realising God. Food plays a very important role in keeping the body healthy and fit for Yoga and Meditation.

The gift of food is the greatest gift of all. Therefore, one should give food in plenty, to the hungry and needy, not only during the Mahalaya fortnight but all through the year. Food charity is said to be the most benevolent of all charities and donations in the world as Food is a basic necessity for Human Life to survive on this Earth.

The All India Management Association (AIMA) was created as an apex body of professional management with active support of the Government of India and Industry in 1957. AIMA is a group- a body to pool management thoughts in the country, a forum to develop a national managerial ethos, an orgnisation to facilitate the furtherance of the management profession in the country.

AIMA is a federation of Local Management Associations (LMAs). AIMA today affiliates 58 LMAs across the country and two Co-operating management associations i.e. Qatar Indian Management Association and Mauritius Management Association.

AIMA has established close linkages with over 3000 institutions and over 30,000 individual professionals directly and through network of the Local Management Associations. AIMA’s activities include Distance management Education, management Development Programmes, national Events, Competitions, Research, Publication and Testing Services.

The University of North Bengal was established by Act of the Legislature of West Bengal in 1962 and assigned the mandate of providing teaching, training and research in various branches of advanced learning , and promoting the dissemination of knowledge to fulfill growing socio-economic and technical manpower needs in the six North Bengal districts and the neighbouring state of Sikkim . The campus occupies an area of about 330 acres 9 km outside Siliguri and Bagdogra Airport in the Terai region of Darjeeling district. The University Act was revised under West Bengal Act of XXV of 1981 and it came into force with effect from September 16 , 1981. The University is re-accredited by NAAC as B++.For Results click here - Results

Honda has finally launched the brand new edition of City in the Indian market. 1. This new City is essentially the third generation model from Honda in India. 2. Honda City is now priced between Rs 7.7 lakh and Rs 8.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).3. The car would be available in both manual and automatic transmission models. 4. The new Honda City model comes powered with a 1.5 liter i-VTEC engine.5. Third Generation Honda City is available in 6 colors6. New Honda City has a complete sports looking style.7. It has advanced integrated audio system8. Eye catching interior with lots of space with fantastic and extremely comfortable seats. 9. It has all new meter design and eye soothing interior10. The air conditioning system is very powerful 11. It has distinctive look front and rear lights 12. Advanced integrated audio system storage, no car comes near it in this segment. 13. It has integrated iPod, cell phone, MP3 player and USB memory from which one can hear digital music without any need for CD/DVD14. Ample storage capacity 15.Highly fuel efficient 16. Fuel indicator meter in the car which tells how much you can go before the fuel is over.17. Two SRS air bags that safeguards’ the passengers in the front18. Anti Braking System (ABS) and brake assist that gives driver complete control in case of emergency braking. 19. This third generation Honda City is totally theft proof as it raises alarm and activates hazard lights if the car is opened with key other the car.------------------------------------------------------------honda india, new honda city, honda city, honda city india, new honda city 2008, honda cars india , honda india, honda city, honda city india, new honda city 2008, new honda city india-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1. The University of Travancore which eventually became the University of Kerala was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the University.

2. Sir C. P Ramaswamy Ayyar, the then Diwan of the State, was the first Vice-Chancellor.

3. It was the sixteenth University to be set up in India and ten Colleges within the State of Travancore which were affiliated to the Madras University became the affiliated colleges of the University of Travancore.

4. In 1957, the University of Travancore was renamed University of Kerala.

5. The University had three campuses located in three different parts of the State viz. Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

6. In 1968, the University Centre at Kozhikode became a full -fledged University covering the Colleges and Departments located in Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kannur Districts of Kerala.

7. The Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Kerala Agricultural University were set up in 1971 and in 1983, the Mahatma Gandhi University was established.

8. With the establishment of these Universities, the area of the jurisdiction of the University of Kerala has been limited to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha Districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta District.

9. At present, the University has sixteen faculties and 41 departments of teaching and research. There are 157 affiliated colleges. Of these, 46 are aided Arts and Science colleges and 14 are unaided . There are two Law colleges, 17 Engineering colleges (of which 14 are unaided), four Medical Colleges (two are self financing) seven aided Teachers’ Training colleges, 30 unaided Teacher Training Colleges, four Ayurveda colleges, two Homeopathy colleges, one Sidha Medical College, two Fine Arts Colleges, one Music College, three Dental colleges (of which two are unaided), four unaided Pharmacy colleges and one college of Physical Education. Besides these, there are four affiliated institutions conducting two year full time MBA course, five colleges offering MCA and ten Nursing colleges, all in the unaided sector.

14. The University’s colleges of Teacher Education (launched in 1990-91), offer B.Ed. with an intake of 180 students in each of the ten centres. The eight University Institutes of Technology offer courses like Computer Science, Electronics, Business Administration etc., Two centres conduct M. Sc. Computer Science and one UIT offers MBA.

15. The Institute of Distance Education caters to the needs of thousands who wish to enroll for different courses. In addition to the traditional degree and post - graduate courses, the Institute now runs degree courses like Computer Science and Computer Application. With the abolition of Private Registration in the post-graduate level, the Institute of Distance Education now offers all the PG courses which were once offered privately. As a result, the enrolment in the institute has grown threefold.

16. In addition to the Departments of teaching, the University also has several centres for studies and research in special areas. The International Centre for Kerala Studies, the Centre for Canadian Studies, the Centre for Australian Studies, the Centre for Comparative Literature, Sree Narayana Study Centre, Centre for English Language Teaching, Centre for Vedanta Studies, V.K. Krishna Menon Study Centre, Christian Study Centre for Cultural and Social Change and Centre for Gandhian Studies are functioning under the University. It has also been decided to start an Ambedkar Study Centre.

17.The Academic Staff College set up with UGC aid, offers orientation and refresher courses to the teachers in affiliated colleges. It has been rated as the best in the country.

18. The Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library, which has an invaluable collection of rare and precious manuscripts, has been made the State Nodal Agency for the preservation and documentation of manuscripts. A Digital Heritage Archiving Centre also functions in the Library.

19. The Department of Publications, one of the oldest Departments of the University, has brought out a series of glossaries in science subjects, popular science books and translations of classics. The five volume Kerala Sahitya Charithram written by Mahakavi Ulloor S. Parameswara Ayyar and the series Sahithya Nayakanmar (Men of Letters) are some of the most prestigious publications of the Department. The Chitra Ramayana, based on palm - leaf manuscripts, is another notable publication. The University has also published the first ever complete English translation of Hortus Malabaricus, the classical treatise on the plant wealth of Asia and the tropics, in 2003.

20. The seven volumes of the proposed eleven-volume Malayalam Lexicon have been released so far. The University has been publishing since 1946 the Journal of Indian History, a significant publication on historical studies and research. A quarterly newsletter entitled The University Herald is also published.

21. The Observatory, founded by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in 1837, opens a world of celestial wonders to the students, through the computer-aided lectures and the facilities for star-gazing.

22. The University of Kerala has the honour of being the first University in India to ensure participation of students in the University Syndicate. The Academic Council and the Senate also have student members.

23. University Study Centres have been set up with UGC assistance, at Kollam, Alappuzha and Pandalam. These Centres cater to the needs of the students outside Thiruvananthapuram. Besides these, there are 13 Taluk Information Centres. The University also supplies information to students through the Helpdesks in affiliated colleges.

24. During 1997, the University celebrated its Diamond Jubilee.

On 28th December 2000, the University conferred the Honorary Degree of D. Litt. on Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen. The other scholars honoured recently through the conferment of D. Litt. are Dr. K. J. Yesudas and Dr. Laurie Baker (2003).

25.The University’s Web site www.keralauniveristy.edu launched in January 2000, offers several services like downloadable application forms, question papers of past examinations, free resource links, subject gateway, etc,... The daily press releases and results of examinations are published on the site. The University also issues Degree Certificates with Hologram and over 112 security features. The Interactive Voice Response System helps students to get information over telephone.

26. he University of Kerala has widened its horizons by entering into academic cooperation with some foreign Universities like Valladolid of Spain and Claremont of the United States of America. The UGC has identified the University as one of the 26 institutions selected for promotion of India Studies by foreign students. The National Assessment and Accreditation Committee has placed the University at the B++ grade-------------Source: www.keralauniversity.edukerala university results, cdac mumbai, calicut, fensterdekoration, olialia, UOK,kerala University results 2008,result of kerala university Bsc degree exam,Assistant Grade Rank List,keralauniversity.edu,university of kerala results,kerala Bsc results 2008,result of bsc in kerala, www.education.kerala.gov.in, endiran

As result of meltdown in US economy there is lot of apprehension about firing by Indian IT companies like Infosys and others.

The other day I found a very interesting post at Kishalay's(http://blog.kishalaya.com/2008/09/infosys-firing-an-interesting-observation/) blog about it. He has made a very interesting observation.

I am putting the text here for you. Enjoy.-----------------------------There has been a buzz in the IT industry about the firings in the top Indian IT Companies. I had an interesting observation to share with you.Try the following search term in google.tcs firingwipro firingsatyam firinginfosys firingYou would get the following screenshots

(you can try)

As you can see from the last snapshot by searching Infosys firing in google, you can see a red circle in the snapshot, here google says Did you mean “Infosys Hiring”. ( From Google Help page - Google’s spell checking software automatically checks whether your query uses the most common spelling of a given word. If it thinks you’re likely to generate better results with an alternative spelling, it will ask “Did you mean: (more common spelling)?”. Click the suggested spelling to launch a Google search for that).It has got very significant meaning that Infosys has never been a hire and fire company, and it is a great achievement for a company and it is not a true news that infy firingWell infy is not in mood to fire;And going completely against the tide is Infosys, which is actually planning to hire 25,000 people this year and is also contemplating recruiting about 1,000 more in China over the next two to three years. Infact insosys have lot of project and infy hyderabad is recruiting people like anything; check today times ascent also. Infy hyderabad is all to set its New campus at Uppal hyderabad.Lets hope that the current situation of firing employees in top companies goes away fast.Source: http://blog.kishalaya.com/2008/09/infosys-firing-an-interesting-observation/

Knight rider’s have returned and with all new thrills and it is creating a lot of buzz around. Knight Rider was a famous TV series in 80’s, was most famous for its funky and tech savvy car which showed us a peek into modern technology with its talking car KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand), a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.Knight Rider’s owner NBC had last year tried making “Knight Rider” TV movie. And now knigh riders is back with the old series for a new generation, complete with a new star, a new car (Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR), and a new batch of 21st century crimes to solve.The new KITT — dubbed the Attack KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) thanks to its ability to go on the offensive against enemies at any moment — has a weapons systems to match that of a jet fighter, a body that can transform into other vehicles, and access to military satellite systems so it can track anyone anywhere (see photos). Attack KITT gets 167 miles to the gallon (where can I get one?), comes equipped with infrared night-vision headlights, contains a movable windshield touch-screen, and can use artificial intelligence to hack into any outside system. And, of course, because a car’s got to have some personality to make it on this show, it still has a voice (thanks to Val Kilmer)… and can even dole out advice to its driver when he’s not in the car.While there was a lot of negative fan feedback when the Mustang was originally rolled out for the TV Movie, I think fans will be more than satisfied with the recent upgrade. Attack KITT completely makes up for any hokey plot elements and weak acting; we’re in the very safe hands of Gary Scott Thompson (”Fast and the Furious”) and Doug Limon (”The Bourne Identity”).Some Features of KITT(Knight Industries Three Thousand)* Engine is a Ford 351 w. 440hp & 465 ft/lbs of torque* Transmission is a B&M C-6 racing trans* Rear end is a Ford 8.8″ rear differential with posi-tractions and 373 gear ratio* It has Brembo racing brakes and Wilwood racing stunt brake setupReference http://www.tv.yahoo.com/blog/the-comeback-kitt-a-knight-rider-makeover--13